Robber remains at large

Police continue to search for a man who robbed the BP station at 715 W. Michigan Ave. in Three Rivers late Tuesday.

By Corky EmrickTwitter: @CorkyESJ

Police continue to search for a man who robbed the BP station at 715 W. Michigan Ave. in Three Rivers late Tuesday.

Police said he is a black male, about 6 feet tall with a heavy build.

The man entered the store just before 10:30 p.m. Tuesday and displayed a handgun that was covered in a pink towel, police said.

He tied a clerk's hands and feet, leaving the employee in an office in the back of the store. Police said the man stole an unknown amount of money from the register, took the clerk's cell phone and drove away in the clerk's car.

At the time of the robbery, the man was wearing a dark-colored jacket with his head and face covered with a hood or mask. He also wore white or light-colored sweat pants with a dark stripe down the legs, dark-colored tennis shoes and gloves. Police said he was carrying a pink umbrella when he entered the business.

The stolen car was seen headed westbound on the Indiana Toll Road near the Illinois border. Indiana State Police pursued the vehicle until it crossed into Illinois. The stolen car was later found abandoned in Chicago.

Authorities believe the man made a false 911 call prior to the robbery to lure police away from the area.

The robbery occurred in a high-traffic business area, so the man may have visited other nearby businesses prior to the robbery.